Former Winter-Spirit
by The Golden Land
Summary: Ten years after the events of the Nightmare King, Jack loses his powers while flying over the forests of Burgess. A girl finds him and takes him in. Jack/OC. Jamie/OC.
1. Blizzard

**I'm new here. I just wanted to try writing for once. Wrote this as a try-out. I'd like to see what kind of responses I would get.**

**Disclaimer: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Blizzard**

Jack trudged across the wintery land, with his staff as his only support. The howling wind blew at his face. Normally, he wasn't even affected by such weather. However, he had definitely not expected this.

The great Jack Frost was _cold_.

It wasn't just any cold, either. He was freezing. The unrelenting cold made sure he couldn't feel his fingers or his toes. For the first time, he could finally experience how others would have felt in his presence. He loathes it. He even hates it. He would have given a bitter laugh, but he couldn't feel his lips. _No wonder everybody wants me gone, _he thought.

Deciding that he could no longer make any more movement, he let his skinny form lay crumpled on the ground. His fingers no longer held their grip on his staff. As he lay, his teeth continued chattering. He couldn't take it any longer. He could feel his eyes slowly shutting, giving in to the bitter cold. He was going die alone in these woods. Not that he should mind, anyway. Besides, wasn't he alone for the majority of his life?

He saw a light in the distance, approaching him slowly. Was it death coming for him? He didn't know. He was going to find out, though. It's funny, really. A winter spirit, killed in his element. He's going to die. Alone.

Jack let his eyes shut for one final time.

* * *

Olivia sighed as she looked at her strange guest on the couch. He didn't look any older than 16. He definitely was strange. What was he doing out in the middle of a snow storm with just a hoodie and a pair of regular pants? He didn't even have his shoes. She could only imagine in pity about what he went through in the blizzard. Nobody deserves to be abandoned in such a state. However, as much as she pitied her guest, she could not stop to wonder how her guest could possibly be in that place of the forest. There was no way someone from town could travel that far with the ongoing cruel blizzard. Anyone strolling around the forest in such weather would be deemed insane. She would have to ask him later.

Despite the predicament she found her guest in, she could not stop to wonder about how strange he looked. His hair was silver, and it almost glistened when she initially found him with frosts on his hair. It looked so much like the snow. He had pale skin, sharp jawlines and boyish looks. His small, but athletic, frame was easily swallowed by the sheet of blanket she had provided her. Even hours after she had taken him in, she noticed that his touch was quite cold. It took days for it to go down to regular-human temperature. It was truly a mystery how he ended up in such a state. Perhaps, he's one of those mysterious homeless boys? Olivia paled when the thought of her guest being an escaped criminal passed through her head. She dismissed her thought quickly, not wanting to know what she would have meddled with. She made herself promise to make him leave as soon as she was done with him.

Olivia snapped from her reverie when she had noticed that her guest was shifting uncomfortably. He was probably waking up now, after being unconscious for two days. She quickly went into the kitchen, fetching a warm bowl of soup she had made for her dinner. When she had returned, her guest was already up but still remained on the couch, rubbing his eyes as he took in his surroundings. She allowed herself to take a seat on the couch the opposite of his, and carefully placed the bowl of soup on the coffee table. He jumped at the sound, slightly startled, but slightly relaxed upon seeing Olivia.

"You're in my house." Olivia blurted before her guest could question it himself. "You were in a blizzard and you were freezing to death. I took you in. I've kept the wooden stick you were carrying around in the storeroom."

Her stranger, still slightly insecure, nervously replied: "T-Thanks" he stuttered, although he looked quite alarmed when he saw his surroundings.

His face suddenly morphed into one of shock as he questioned "Wait, you could see me, in the blizzard?"

"Yeah, I had a lamp at that time…"

Her guest visibly frowned when she had told her that. He waited a moment, probably picking the right words to use.

"Has anyone else, other than you, seen me?" he asked his nervousness still present in his voice. I instantly became wary of him. This guy could really be a criminal.

"No. The only other person who has seen you was the doctor, who came earlier this morning. Why?" Olivia asked while making sure her suspicion was evident in her tone.

"Nothing..." he muttered. He had a look of mild shock and realization. He began mumbling something, somewhere along the lines of "I shouldn't be seen anyway" but Olivia was not sure.

Before Olivia could stop herself, she asked her guest "Do you have a family? Your parents or relatives, anywhere?" she mentally smacked herself for that question. Even if he did have relatives, they would certainly not be from Burgess. In all her time spent in this village, she had never seen anyone with his hair colour. He would've been… notable.

He visibly paused before he replied, again unsure of how he should respond. "My parents are gone. My relatives would be out of reach. Let's just say… they have really important businesses to run. They won't be visiting me anytime soon." He rambled "even if they noticed me gone, they wouldn't have enough time to come visit me." He paused, unsure if he had said the right thing yet again. He seems very concerned about how he would come off to people, Olivia noted. _He's_ _probably hiding something._

Despite that, Olivia still couldn't stop the wave of pity which overcame her. As much as she wanted to probe, she was in no position to glean any personal information about her guest's private life. She then found herself realizing that he was currently in somewhat the same position as she was a while ago.

Before she could stop herself again, she gave herself another hard mental smack as she blurted out "Would you like to stay, until your relatives come for you?"

"I appreciate the offer, but no thanks. I would be imposing on you," he replied with a nervous smile. Not too used to getting help from people too.

"No, no such thing. There is no way I am letting you out in such a state and in this weather. You can stay as long as you like until this blizzard is over," Olivia insisted.

The boy nodded and muttered thanks, before helping himself to the bowl of soup. He seems strangely reluctant about the soup. His eyes widened in mild surprised when he laid hands on the smooth porcelain surface of the bowl. He removed his hands before carefully placing a hand on one side of the bowl, carefully lifting up. Using the spoon held by his other hand, he scooped up a spoon of soup. He looks at it cautiously, blowing it several times before putting it in his mouth.

Her guest caught Olivia staring "What?"

"Nothing, soup is better hot."

He frowned, obviously not used to this.

"By the way, I'm Olivia. What's your name?" Olivia asked curiously. She only found it appropriate that she learns her guest's name if he was putting up with her for the rest of the wintery weather. She hoped she would not be too attached to the stranger.

"Jack F-" he replied before correcting himself, "Jack."

"Just Jack? No surname? Family name?"

He nodded.

He was strange indeed. If he had stated his family name, wouldn't it be easier for her to find his relatives? The thought of him being a criminal passed through her head again. "_What is wrong with me?_" she mentally chided herself. She couldn't help it. Even in his deteriorated state, the boy still appeared devilishly handsome. There was no doubt he would be popular with the girls.

"Just leave the bowl on the table when you're done. You can stay in the guest room, it's upstairs, just opposite mine. I'll put your… belonging on the side of door to mark it." She said, pointing to his wooden stick. "I'm going to bed now," she finished.

Jack simply nodded and replied "Thanks"

She hoped that Jack's relatives would come soon. He was a strange one indeed. Olivia yawned, promising herself to learn more of her guest to find his family soon. As she laid on her bed, she wondered how she would be able to juggle work and her guest's priorities.

_I'll figure it out tomorrow_

She yawned one last time before sleep overtook her.


	2. Daycare

**So yeah, as I reread my whole story, I realized there was not a lot of interesting things for me to write about until I actually develop the characters.**

**Stick with me, please!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own a silver-haired boy.**

* * *

When Olivia was out of sight, Jack put on a visible frown on his face.

He didn't know what to think.

How was he to get out of this mess without screwing anything up? Sure, he was grateful to the girl for saving him, but how was he going to get his powers back? Her revelations about the doctor had proved that not only was his powers gone – he was also becoming more human-like. He could be seen by humans, he could eat like humans, and he could actually enjoy _warmth._

His world had just turned upside down.

Aside from his loss of powers, Jack was also disheartened by the fact that he would have no way to contact other guardians. He wasn't even sure if he still counted as one, now that he is without his powers. Jack had never realized that the total loss of his powers would impact him this much. But he wasn't the one to blame. How was he to know that he would be drained of every single ounce of his frost element just by flying through the dense forests of Burgess? If he had known that earlier, he would have avoided it. However, that itself is another issue. Who or what was in there that could drain all of his powers and just leave him in a near-death state? There has to be some evil force at work.

He highly doubted it was Pitch, though. Pitch had been defeated by him and the guardians and was not likely able to make a comeback within a span of 10 years.

Jack released an audible sigh. There was nothing he could do about this. The earliest the others would notice him gone would be next year, for his winter-job has already been done. Some may question his absence but nothing would be taken seriously until the next winter. He just hoped that he could untangle this mess in time.

The Man in the Moon truly worked in strange ways.

He let out another sigh as he slowly went up the stairs and into his temporary room. Picking up his staff, which was neatly left on the side, he lazily plopped himself onto the bed.

He let out a yawn, sleep was taking him over.

He was turning more mortal than he thought.

* * *

Olivia awoke to her alarm clock's constant ringing. She responded by lightly smacking the product, effectively silencing it. She let herself dwell in the comfortable warmth of her thick blanket for a little while, allowing herself a little more time to relax before she got out of bed. She gently rubbed her eyes with the side of her hand as she got used to the glaring light. Stretching her tired arms and legs, she got out of her bed and headed off to the bathroom, to brush her teeth and have a warm shower. As she was enjoying the feeling of warm water running across her skin, and the floral aroma of her scented shampoo, her train of thought strayed and eventually led to that of a certain silver-haired boy. Would he be staying for a prolonged period of time? How much would her lifestyle change?

And then she heard the knocking of her room's door.

Her eyes widened.

She was _not _expecting this.

Blame it on her to have forgotten that she had Jack in the same household. She panicked when she heard a muffled "_Hello?_" against her door. In her shock, she carelessly fumbled with the shampoo bottle she was holding in her hand and dropped it. The loud noise caused her to panic even more.

As if she wasn't panicking enough, she heard "_Hello, Olive? A__re you alright? I'm coming in!__" _and the distinct creaking of the opening door.

She gasped and started blushing furiously, quickly rushing to lock the bathroom door. "I-I'm fine!" she shouted, he definitely HAD to hear it.

"You sure? I heard something dropping! I came in as soon as I heard it!"

"Yes! I am! Now leave me alone! I'm still in the shower!" Olivia shouted, blushing furiously and now hyperventilating. He was _this _close to seeing my naked!

"Oh! Oh..." Jack replied almost as nervously as she sounded. "Sorry," he said, significantly more quieter.

She finally let her breath out when she heard the bang of her room's closing door.

That was... embarrassing.

* * *

Olivia sat down in on the dining table having her toast and a warm mug of coffee while sending Jack death glares.

She was definitely not amused.

"Hey... Sorry about earlier. Again." Jack apologized as he tried to ease the obvious tension.

Olivia arched her eyebrow. Jack probably didn't get the hint. "We shall never speak of this again," she simply declared. It was crossed between a warning and a demand, but the point got across anyway.

But Jack just shrugged.

"Anyway, I was just asking. Do you have anything for me to do?" he asked curiously

Olivia couldn't say she didn't expect that, but it never struck to her that her guest would be simply idling away in her house when she would be at work at the daycare. Who knows what surprise she would be greeted with when she would come back after a tiring day. But it was for a fact that Jack, despite his good looks, did not look... presentable. All he probably had for his attire would be his hoodie (which was still full of frosts which didn't even melt after all this time) and his pair of pants (also in the same condition). He probably fitted the description of a vagabond.

He caught her looking at his attire and frowned. "What, not presentable enough?"

"Yes! I mean.. no. But yes. You just don't look presentable." She fumbled through her words. Why does he make her this nervous?

He just nodded and dejectedly stared at the table.

"If you really, really want to, I have some of my father's old clothes. Are those okay? We'll go shopping later on."

His face brightened up and his lips curved into a bright smile, showing his pearly white teeth. Together with his stunningly blue eyes and the bright smile, he looked... cute. Olivia felt her cheeks slightly light up. _Stop that. _She chided herself. She could not get too attached to her guest. He would have to pack his things and leave her one day, just like everyone else. Experience taught her that people come and people go, nobody would be there to stay. Everyone would eventually be gone. It's just a matter of how well she would be able to take it.

Before she sank any deeper into her reverie, she stopped herself "I'll bring some down for you, you can try them on later on"

"Thanks."

There was that stupid smile again.

* * *

Jack couldn't stop fidgeting uncomfortably. He was having slight difficulty getting used to the large coat which hugged his small frame. Hell, he would have difficulty getting used to any clothing other than his hoodie. To add on to his slight discomfort, the boots and socks he was wearing made his feet feel too warm. It was too quiet, too. Aren't teenage girls usually full of chatter? Especially girls around her age? When he used to be unnoticed, he once saw a bunch of teenage girls just sitting on the bench and talking for two whole hours, often bursting out into squeals and giggles. He also once saw a girl who chatted with someone on the _phone_ for a whole hour. These girls were usually easy targets for his pranks. He chuckled as he reminisced how he would send a breeze of cold wind to "nip on their noses" as he often heard people described. They would end up sneezing and lose track of their conversation. Or blurt out something unintelligible. There were some who responded with a string of... colorful words.

He began asking Olive about her job. "So, where do you work?"

"At the daycare. With my colleague Rex."

Jack blinked. The daycare was not one of the places he would hang out in, despite the abundance of children there. Whenever he was around, he would inevitably cause the temperature to drop and hence causing the children to be forced back into shelter, effectively ending their "fun time."

Wait, children.

What if he saw any of his believers there?

It didn't strike to him that anyone in this town would be able to recognize him. This was Burgess, after all. He had been here for a long time. Tooth used to call it his "favorite town" (but he denied it and said he had no favorites whatsoever)

As he thought about the children, he asked "Think I could help there?"

"Think the children would like you?" Olivia replied, challenging him.

"Try me," he winked.

Olivia just arched her eyebrow.

"Whatever"

He gave her his trademark smirk, probably ticking her off again.

This was going to be fun.


	3. Suspicions

**Okaaay. I can't believe the sudden influx of RoTG fanfics. It's crazy how 200 fanfics popped up within 2 days. 2 days!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own a certain winter spirit.**

* * *

Jack stepped into the brightly colored room of the daycare. It was filled with lively colors like green, yellow, pink. All for the childish imagination, he supposed. He noticed that there were no children there – yet. He presumed that Olivia just liked to arrive early. As he mindlessly followed Olivia into an office, he took in the sights which were around him. These were the sights he chose to avoid when he was a spirit, he mused. Better enjoy mortality while it lasted.

Wait, what was he thinking?

He mentally shrugged. He supposed he could have a _little _fun while he's mortal, right?

"The kids will start arriving soon. Stop staring into blank space," Olivia snapped while hanging her coat on the coat stand, breaking his almost-trance.

He just proceeded to take off his coat, placing it on the coat stand in similar fashion.

"Now, when the kids come, I want you to…" Olivia began droning on. However, Jack simply turned his gaze at other things. The ceilings. The wall. The childish drawing of a lion on the wall. Listening to Olivia's instructions suddenly turned into the most boring thing in the room. He reminded her of Tooth, who always gives him a full rant of how to take care of his teeth whenever he did something unhygienic.

"… and lastly, do NOT take the children to ice-skating, understand?"

He simply grunted.

She fumed.

"Was that a "I-wasn't-listening-to-you-grunt" or a "whatever-you-say-grunt"?!" she snapped. It wasn't even afternoon yet and he already pissed her off thrice. Not that he didn't enjoy it though, pissing people off was actually one of his best talents and hobbies, it only came a close second to making his believers happy.

He raised his hands in a surrendering pose, but not without his smirk.

She was about to give him another rant, but the door opened and a middle-aged man walked in with a smile. His features contorted into a smile when he saw Olivia, and waved at her, "Hi 'Livia." His eyes wandered to Jack and his smile disappeared. (Thanks for the warm reception.) "Who's this?" he inquired.

She returned a smile and greeted "Hi Rex. This is Jack. He got lost in the blizzard a few nights ago. He's staying with me until his parents come back."

Rex just arched his eyebrow.

"Right."

He scrutinized Jack, looking at his features closely. "Nice hair." he simply said.

Rex then went into his own office, but not without giving Jack a few questioning glances.

Olivia chuckled and whispered to him "If you screw up, he'll personally hunt you down"

Great.

* * *

Cheerful noise invaded the daycare as the first batch of children came in. The children greeted Olivia with joy and she gave them her best smiles, sometimes chiding them to remind them not to run. Most of them smiled and waved at Jack, some of them even occasionally greeting him as "mister". Olivia noticed that Jack's smile was almost as bright as hers. It was obvious he liked the children as much as they liked him. He really wasn't kidding when he implied that he was good with children.

However, something caught her attention

"It's Jack F-"

"Shhh!" Jack shushed them, motioning the child to come to him. He whispered something in the little boy's ear. Whatever he said, he made the child light up like a Christmas tree.

Olivia glared at him.

"What?" he asked, faking innocence on his face.

"Don't make empty promises..." she grumbled

But her mind was focused on other things. How would any of the children recognize him? Was he more familiar with Burgess than she thought so?

"Not as fresh as you thought, eh?" Rex remarked casually, interrupting her thoughts and successfully capturing the attention of both teenagers. When she turned to look at him, he had a smirk on his face. But she knew him, and he knew her. Olivia could almost imagine Rex mouthing the words, _he isn't telling you everything_.

If it were any other person, they would take it as a warning. However, she knew that Rex was just concerned for her well-being.

"I'll tell you about it later," she replied.

He just shrugged and sauntered away. When her gaze shifted to Jack, she saw his blue eyes flash with curiosity. She almost caught him frowning but he quickly resumed smirking and winked at her. She responded with a glare and turned away.

She had questioning to do later.

* * *

Jack suddenly turned into a celebrity at the daycare. Despite her being more used to the children, the children took an immense liking to Jack. Wherever he went, the children tried to follow. He turned from stranger to ringmaster in just a single day. At least, she could thank the silver-haired for not being a bad influence to them. But everything comes to an end, and all the children were brought back home by their respective parents. When the last of the children left, he turned and gave Olivia his smirk.

He's infuriating.

"Come on, Jack, you need clothes." His mouth formed into an "O" and he followed Olivia to the coat stand. Taking their coats, Jack studied the daycare one last time before turning around and following her to the door.

"Bye, Rex!" She shouted. Rex simply waved back, without straying his eyes away from the paper he was reading.

As they both strolled in equal speed to the shopping mall, Jack couldn't help but notice strange looks he gets from strangers. Some girls and even women were winking at him whereas men gave him strange looks. When he felt he couldn't take it anymore, he went closer to Olivia to ask her about them. He swore he saw some girls scowling.

"Why are they giving me strange looks?"

One look at their surroundings and Olivia immediately knew. She groaned and smacked her forehead. It wouldn't be long before someone would be bold enough to approach him.

"They're attracted to you, and if the rest aren't gay, they probably find your hair color strange."

"And why aren't you attracted to me?" He gave her a smirk

Wrong move, Jack. Olivia got pissed off again.

"For Pete's sake! I have a _boyfriend_!" she almost shouted.

At the mere mention of the word, boyfriend, the pair were suddenly at the center of attention. People were looking at them with mixed reactions. Jealousy, anger, disappointment, anything you can name.

Olivia slapped her forehead and groaned once again. Her eyes widened when she suddenly felt her other hand being wrapped by cold fingers.

"C'mon, let's go." Jack shushed her before she could throw another tantrum.

* * *

Olivia wasn't talking to Jack. Olivia was ignoring Jack. All they did in the clothes shop was take some apparel Jack found appeasing to himself. Olivia hadn't shared her sentiments at all. Whenever he tried to talk to Olivia, she would cut him off with a glare, but there were times when her expression softened when she was explaining things Jack did not understand. But all that development were shredded into pieces when Olivia began to notice the stares from their surroundings again. Jack still could get used to being in the center of attention in the crowd. As a spirit, he was used to them ignoring him and literally walking right through him.

When they had decided that they had shopped enough clothes, Olivia simply paid for them and broke into a brisk walk. Jack had a little difficulty following him. Was she that mad at him? He needed to apologize. The awkward tension in the air for both of them (well, mostly him) was unbearable.

He attempted to cut through the tension one last time.

"So what do you th-"

"Who are you?" Olivia suddenly demanded

He blinked.

"Jack."

"No, who are you? How did the children recognize you?" Olivia said as she swerved to meet her angry eyes with Jack. The accusing tone in her voice suggested that she wasn't giving up until she got answers.

"That's something... I can't tell" Jack replied, avoiding her stormy grey eyes. He started fidgeting uncomfortably and shifted his gaze to the snowy ground beneath them.

"Tell. Now." she demanded persistently

"No."

"Tell!"

"I can't!"

His hands cupped his ears and he bent his knees, squatting. Tears threatening his eyes.

"Everything I had being taken away from me! All thanks to one night! Everyone, and everything I had, gone! All gone! People who knew me can't do anything about it, because they don't even_ know_ what happened to me! I am _trying _to piece it all back together! I'm not ready for anything major. I'm just not _ready..."_ he rambled as he broke into sobs. Olivia's eyes widened as she took in his sudden outburst. She desperately wanted to go to him and hug him, telling him everything was alright, that she wasn't angry at him or blaming him anymore. She didn't know what else to do; It was the first time someone broke down in front of her. She felt guilty, knowing she was partly to blame.

So Olivia did what she had to do.

She brought him up and hugged him tightly. She wrapped her arms around the boy in front of her, repeatedly mumbling "It's okay" or "I'm sorry". She felt his arms wrap around her as well as he continued to sob into her shoulder.

He was a strange one indeed.

* * *

**How was it? Reviews please!**


	4. The Bennetts

**So yeah, RoTG is REALLY REALLY popular now. My fic just keeps sinking to the depths of the 3rd to 5th pages.**

** Angie in RandomLand: Everything will be explained. All in due time. c:  
**

**Disclaimer: Is it still necessary after what I wrote on the first page?**

* * *

No response.

"Jack. Come on, wake up." She prodded, shaking him a slightly more roughly than the first. Frowning, Olivia covered Jack's torso with the blanket again. His body was warm and he had a slight fever. It would probably do him good by letting him stay in today. After last evening's events, she supposed he would be… tired. She sighed again as she realized that she had gotten nothing out of yesterday's confrontation. If she was being her usual self, she would've forced all answers out of Jack in that confrontation alone. But something about him, something about his blue eyes, made her feel so guilty. She just wanted to take his pain away. She actually felt her heart ache for him then.

Now, she just wants to blot out these feelings.

She has a boyfriend. She shouldn't share her affections with another man. But now, she wasn't even sure if where they stand in their relationship.

It didn't seem that long ago. It was two years. Her boyfriend's family was torn apart due to… certain complications. He had no choice but to move. Where he went, he didn't tell anyone. But he promised to return. And she had believed it.

Her heart would flutter when she thought of him, but recently, her thoughts had been leading to… Jack.

Great.

_Wake up, Olivia. You have better things to do than mulling over boys_. She chided to herself. Before she left, she left a bunch of snacks on the table. Hopefully, these might last him long enough before dinner. She quickly wrote a note and stuck it neatly beside the snacks.

Before she left, she ran her hand through his silver locks. He serene expression caused the corners of her lips to tug into a smile.

_Goodbye, Jack_.

She closed the door.

* * *

When she got to the daycare, Rex was already there. As his eyes met Olivia's, he gave her a slight smile but not without tilting his head, obviously looking for Jack.

"Where's pretty boy?" he asked casually

When she explained what happened yesterday, he gave her a funny look.

"Compassion is a dangerous thing."

For such a tender person around children, Rex was very wary and cautious around regular people. Although she knew he doesn't necessarily hate all of them, she wished he could be less suspecting around people. Before she and Rex got close, Rex had been giving her cold responses. He's a tough nut to crack. However, after she got to know him better, she realized that his cold responses weren't essentially messages of hate. It's just a part of who he is.

"I'm sure it won't change anything," Olivia chuckled, brushing off his remark.

"By the way, that asshole Benett called. Said he's coming." he informed her, awaiting her reaction.

Her eyes widened.

"But wha- Why? How? I thought-"

"Calm down, 'Livia. He's arriving today." he grinned, amused at her reaction.

Olivia had the urge to slap that stupid grin off Rex's face "Today?!"

It never occurred to Olivia that her boyfriend was coming anytime soon. If he ever hears about her cohabiting with the stranger, what would he think? How would he react? She played through so many scenes in her head, all of them not having a happy ending. She was in trouble. No, honestly, she was in deep shit. _Very _deep shit. But one thing that bothered her though, she was a nervous wreck and here's Rex, being a sadistic bitch and enjoying single every second of it. She quietened herself and spoke in an intimidating tone.

"Rex."

"Yes, hun?"

"I'm going to kill you," she said, as she lunged for him.

He laughed as he got off his seat, running into the office, with Olivia trailing behind him. But what she did not know, was that someone was waiting for her in Rex's office.

"Jamie?"

* * *

"Go die in a hole, asshole! Two years! You owe me two years!" she glared in Jamie's direction while walking with him back home. After spending the day at the daycare, they were walking back to their homes. Jamie particularly enjoyed the landscape. He missed Burgess. He wished he could just stay here forever.

"I intend to make it up with every second I have with you," Jamie said, smiling as he kissed Olivia's forehead.

Olivia stopped in her tracks and put her arms on her hips. She pretended to be angry, but she was having a hard time stifling the smile that was slowly creeping up her face.

Grinning, Jamie took both her hands in his "Come on, 'Livia"

She took his hands away from her's, causing Jamie to pout. But the grin returned when she hugged him tightly.

"I missed you, idiot."

"I promised to come back. Here I am." he stated, the grin still on his face.

"I hate you." Olivia said, her voice being muffled by his chest.

Jamie grinned even wider "I'll leave again, then"

"Don't you dare." Olivia said, retreating from the hug as she gave him a genuine glare.

Olivia was waiting for him to assure her, to tell her that he won't. But the words never came. She was slightly disappointed, but she hid her disappointment with a smile. Since Jamie was back, she might as well enjoy it while it lasts, no?

"Hey, 'Livia. I've got... something to tell you." His nervousness was present in his voice as he said those words. His free hand rose up to scratch the back of his head. "I'm only staying for the winter. I have to return when spring arrives. Don't get me wrong, I'm coming back, but..." he trailed off.

Olivia simply placed a finger on his lips. "Don't worry, we'll figure something out soon." she warmly smiled, letting Jamie sigh in relief. She did not relish the fact that her boyfriend would be leaving again, but she was sure that she want to enjoy every second of his presence.

He returned the smile and gave her a kiss.

But then, her traitorous mind led her train of thought lead to Jack.

She was about to instinctively scowl into the kiss, but her she pushed Jamie away instead and said, "Jamie, there's someone else living in my house."

He frowned, "who?"

"I found this boy in the blizzard, with just one hoodie and pants. No shoes. He had nothing with him, just some wooden stick which looks like an antique. I took him in." she explained, biting her tongue. She was anxious to see how her boyfriend would react.

But Jamie simply gave her a smile, "I'll meet him." he simply said.

Olivia gave a relieved sigh, hoping that Jamie would like Jack as much as Rex or the children did.

"Oh, and Sophie... she's at your house right now. She used the key you gave her."

What.

She smacked her forehead and took Jamie's hand, rushing back home.

* * *

"Who are you?!" Sophie screamed, desperately clutching her mobile phone, prepared to call for help. Why was there a stranger in Olivia's house?!

Jack heard the scream and swerved. As he was turning, his stubbed his toe on the edge of the cupboard, yelping in pain. When he took a glance at the yelling girl, he noticed that her messy blonde hair was strangely... familiar. It oddly reminded him of a certain event concerning Bunnymund, 10 years ago.

"Sophie?"

Her eyes widened in fear and she started trembling. Jack started laughing, her fear of him was really comical, like it came out of a cartoon. "What?! How do you know my name?!" she looked at him with wide eyes and in a threatening tone.

"Don't you remember me? We used to play in the winter." he winked at her

She frowned at first, tilting her head slightly, still wondering who this stranger was. He also seemed oddly familiar.

"Jack Frost!" She shouted with sudden realization, running forward to hug him.

"You never visited anymore, after I turned 13" she said, changing the smile into a glare

He just shrugged. "I'm a guardians focus mainly on children. It's not a surprise if teenagers or adults can't see me."

"Honestly? I don't know. I feel mortal right now." he said as he explained to her what happened during that fateful night's blizzard. He told her about how he was staying with Olivia right now, until he could find a way to get his powers back. Despite most of his job already being done (he liked to rush them so he had more time to have fun with children), he couldn't help but feel out of place by being mortals. He recounted the time he and Olivia went to the shopping mall. He avoided telling her about his breakdown, though.

"Where's Jamie?" Jack asked, curious

As if on cue, the door opened, and a frantic Olivia rushed in, her eyes wide and looking for someone.

"Sophie!" she breathlessly shouted

"Here!" she giggled as she waved from the couch and gestured to Jack. "I was shocked at first, but everything's fine."

After Olivia, a brown haired teen followed her in, panting as well. When his eyes scanned the surroundings, he saw the one person he thought he would never see again.

"Jack?"

Jack smirked "Hi, Jamie"

Olivia looked confused. "You all know each other?"

Before a breathless Jamie could respond, Jack quickly interrupted, "Childhood friends," he rambled. "She's not in the... business." Sophie explained, when Jamie gave Jack a look of confusion. After Olivia and Jack had recovered their breath, they all sat around the couch. Olivia excused herself to get a glass of water for everyone.

"So, Jack... What gives?" Jamie asked suspiciously. He was still slightly bitter on how Jack just disappeared on his 13th birthday. Sure, Sophie told him that he visited from time to time but he didn't visit him. Sophie could sense the awkward tension between the two of them and frowned. She mouthed to Jamie, "I'll tell you about it later."

When Olivia returned, Jack noticed that she took her seat on the leather couch opposite of Jack and Sophie's, she was eyeing everyone here, giving them strange looks. But one thing that bothered him slightly though, was that she was sitting a _little _too close to Jamie.

"I know you guys know each other, but I'm going to introduce you to each other anyway since you guys have been out of touch." she explained, first gesturing to Sophie.

"This is Sophie, my best friend," and Sophie nodded in approval.

"This is Jamie, my boyfriend"

What?

* * *

**Reviews, please! Criticism is welcome. Baseless criticism shall however, be ignored.  
I need criticism because I intend to rewrite the whole thing (not really, just revamping) once I'm done.**


	5. Trouble Brewing

**(A/N): I'd like to take a line to thank all my reviewers.**

**Disclaimer: I haven't really seen a single speck of snow in my entire life**

* * *

Olivia pondered over the possibilities of Jack being a more important figure in her life than she had originally thought. After she had sensed the thick tension in the air of the living room caused by their presences, she had left the trio and retreated into the privacy of her room. She looked over her shoulder, seemingly expectant for someone to show up, to explain to her what was happening and _who _exactly Jack is. It was both baffling and infuriating how everyone except her knew him to a certain extent. She reckoned that even Rex had a better understanding of him than her.

But there was no use in voicing out her frustrations either. She would inevitably be fed with more lies, and it would undoubtedly complicate things even further than it already was. She detested how she is unable to express her suspicions more eloquently in front of her audience. It wasn't the first time. Whenever she tried to interrogate someone, that person would make twisted stories and lies, and she, no matter how unbelievable people around her would find the story to be, would obediently eat all of it up. She hated how only when she reaches prolonged privacy, she is able to sort out all her thoughts and angrily come to the realization that she had been fooled. That was her flaw; she trusted people too much.

Was hoping for absolutely no subterfuge too much to ask for?

* * *

"Jack Frost."

"No, please. Just Jack now. No longer immortal." Jack didn't relish the fact that he was refuting his own tittle, his own _name, _but it was for a fact that he no longer held any power or control over the winter and he was a guardian missing out on his duties.

Jamie folded his arms and arched an eyebrow while sinking further into the leather couch. Sophie, despite her reluctance in participating in the two older men's new-found rivalry, felt that she has to be there to act as a judge. She knew that Jamie was still slightly bitter over Jack's disappearance. Adding that fact with a Jamie who had the tendency to let his feelings take over his head and resulting in overreaction, she knew that without her presence as some sort of safety harness, there would bound to be some friction between the two. Jack was also known to have a slightly-large ego, as she observed when he presented distaste in people who poked fun of his name. She would not trust the now-grown Jamie and Jack together in the same room.

It wasn't that Sophie wasn't sad over Jack's departure when she turned 13. She simply saw how sad her brother had become and chose to be mentally prepared for the day their idol would leave her, just like he left Jamie. Jamie, then, regarded Jack as an older brother he never had. It was no wonder Jack leaving him without a word seemed to be a big blow to him. But now, all that remains are bitter flames of hostility which could burst into an inferno if given the right fuel.

After she had explained Jack's predicament to Jamie, it didn't seem like the teen had bought the story. Despite the fact that he knew Jack, wouldn't have any motive to lie at all. He simply was an immortal who lost his status. Quite pitiful, really. To live with no worry that you would die and then suddenly be forced out of it after 300 years would've been disheartening for anyone.

"Well, Jack, tried to prove yourself mortal yet?" Jamie suggested boldly.

Sophie turned and gave Jamie a sharp glare, that question had a very big potential to be misinterpreted into something more... undesirable.

Jack's mouth opened and then closed soundlessly as his brain sorted out through the possible responses that he could give, obviously abandoning most of them.

He just frowned, honestly replying "I don't know." He heard Jamie scoff before glancing up at him with much less trusting eyes. "I don't know. I can just feel it." Jack continued.

Jamie's expression was blank for a moment before sighing in defeat, realizing that there would be no use in pursuing this topic "Whatever it is, I hope you can solve it soon."

At least, that response proved that he did not entirely hated the former guardian.

Jack gave him an appropriate smile, before uttering "Thanks"

"We'd better go now, it'll be too dark later." Sophie said, turning to Jamie, before continuing "It was nice to meet you again, Jack" she offered him a warm smile.

"Yeah. You too." he replied, giving her an equally friendly smile. "Goodbye." he said, watching their retreating figures.

* * *

"Olivia," he greeted when he saw Olivia emerging from the stairs from the rooms. Despite being the one to sleep later, Jack woke up before she did. Jack noticed that she was still in her makeshift pajamas of a sweater and shorts and hadn't changed yet. As her eyes flicked towards Jack and noticing the gentle smile he had to offer, she gave him a genuine one."Tired?" he asked her. She yawned for a response.

"Rex called. Said daycare was closed today." she mumbled

Jack eyed her thoughtfully before breaking out into a chuckle, "Guess it's another day of idling for me, then."

Olivia nodded, acknowledging his words and turned away, probably back into her room to catch more sleep.

When he was sure Olivia was out of sight, her resumed to staring at his already-cold glass of coffee, pondering and mulling over what Jamie said last night. Sure, he felt mortal, he found mortal needs like food necessary, but there was no way he could prove it. He considered the possibility of finding something in the part of the forest he had last been. At a glance, it seemed like the most sensible thing to do. But when he took whatever it is that sapped a guardian of all of his powers into further consideration, he would immediately call that place "dangerous". However, he realized that if he decides not to pursue the cause of the mishap, he would never find an answer. The possibilities were so tempting and yet so unlikely at the same time. After all, if he could find something that could sap his immortality out of him so conveniently, who's to say he's the only one aware of the thing? Jack had then decided to explore that place later on in the afternoon.

When Olivia came back down, her appearance was still casual but more neat than before. As she gently tore open a sachet of instant coffee, Jack got up from his seat and nudged Olivia on her shoulder. As she turned to him with curious brown eyes, he gently told her that he was going to that part of the forest again. She frowned, but he assured her that he wouldn't take long.

Olivia had then put on an expressionless face, thinking. Whatever it was, she realized it took a lot of willpower for him to finally decide on something. There must be a catch to it. But who was she to interfere? This was Jack's life. She shouldn't be bossing him around. "Be safe, Jack." she said with genuine concern instead of her usual tone she had given him the past few days.

Jack chuckled and patted the top of hear head gently, before smirking and walking back into the guest room.

She just can't shake the ominous feeling that something was about to happen soon.

* * *

A mysterious hooded figure stepped into the North Pole almost casually. When he appeared on the door, North and Bunnymund, who were previously talking casually, shifted their surprised gaze to the stranger before Bunnymund hopping back with his boomerang ready in his hand, giving the stranger a very dangerous glare. North rose from his throne-like chair and bellowed "Who dares to break into my domain?!"

The stranger simply laughed, but his voice wasn't that of a male or a female's. The hood also did well to hide the stranger's appearance and gender.

When Bunnymund threw his boomerang with an audible swing, the boomerang hit a force field which reverberated on air before it rebounded and embedded itself deeply into a wall on the side of the room.

"So these are the fries I am tasked with?" the stranger said, bursting into greater laughter. The stranger's creepy laugh echoed throughout the wide expanse of the room, even shaking the room.

Before any of the two guardians could react, the stranger took the edge of the cloak with one hand and swung it to the other side before his whole figure swelled and disappeared into the shadows as mysteriously as he came.

Where he went or wherever he came from, no one knew.

* * *

**That was just... a teaser. Won't be focusing on the other guardians until much later.**


	6. Plants

**Disclaimer: How does snow even feel like?**

**(A/N): This is kinda short... anyway.**

* * *

Jack did not like the fact that Olivia was just behind him.

Even after all those assurances, after an hour of tranquillity, Olivia had gone right up to him and brashly decided that she would be following Jack into the forest. When Jack tried to deny her of the chance, he just saw her suddenly flare up and gave him a very long lecture. He only managed to placate her when he said he would let her tag along. He sighed as he revelled in that fact that he couldn't blame her curiosity. His reluctance to tell her anything about the life he previously had had caused some friction in their relationship. There had been times when Olivia refused to talk to him, but overall, she had been really nice and forgiving (despite how she acts). So here he was, randomly trekking around wide expanse of snow-capped trees, hoping that Olivia would eventually give up her aimless pursuit and just go back to the safety of her house.

But Olivia seemed _very_ persistent in following him.

He took a deep breath, accepting the inevitable fact that the prolonged privacy would never come. With Olivia here, he had no choice but to shorten the time he initially allowed himself to. He clenched his fists in frustration over the fact that _he_ should be the one facing it alone, that _he_ should not be dragging her down with the likes of himself. He wouldn't even dare to dream about placing her at any risk. He just hoped that when danger comes, he would be strong enough to protect her. After all, he had kindness to repay.

"Jack." She said, deliberately interrupting his thoughts.

"Stop thinking too hard," she mused as she trekked ahead of him when he stopped to turn and face her.

He shrugged and sped his pace, catching up with her.

* * *

After venturing with Jack for two whole hours, Olivia had begun to find her nose being used to the crisp smell of snow and trees. She was beginning to feel tired. It wasn't the temperature wearing her down; she felt warm enough in her cocoon of insulated attire. It was just that she was beginning to be frustrated as despite making progress for two hours, she always found herself and Jack in a similar place. However, despite her protests, insisted that he was going the right way and he wasn't going in circles. Olivia was actually beginning to suspect that Jack was just fooling around on purpose. Frankly, she felt like just bashing his brains out right there and then. How is he oblivious to the apparent pattern of trees? Sure, he might actually turn out to be as stupid as she thought, but why is he so reluctant to let her take the lead? She may be the one tagging along with no agenda to fulfill, but she wasn't entirely incompetent! She already felt like going home, but no. Despite the tempting possibility, she wasn't going to give in to Jack's trickery. She was going to make sure Jack finds whatever he needs and she was going to make sure she had contributed in the process of it. She refused to abandon anyone.

But, as they continued, she began to feel tired. Not physically nor emotionally tired. She felt her mind going slack sometimes, like she just wants to stop thinking there and then. She also began to hear a raspy voice at the back of her head. Honestly, everything she heard sounds like gibberish. But there was one voice, so clear and unmistakable that actually made her stop in her tracks. One voice, that said "Come, come, let me grant you your heart's greatest desires..." When Jack noticed her abrupt stop in movement, he turned around with a frown, about to snap at her "If you're tired, you should just go home!" but no, Olivia just stood there and became oblivious of her surroundings. Her eyes were blank, so empty and soulless. When Jack tried to grab her arm, she sharply recoiled as if he was trying to burn her with his touch.

After the sharp jerk, Jack became more concerned about his companion. "What's wrong, Olivia?" he asked, not even sure if she had heard her. Her lifeless eyes didn't provide any reasonable response and simply gazed ahead of herself and stared right through Jack.

When he tried to approach her again, she broke into a run.

She seemed heading towards one direction, so sure, so certain that it was the only direction she wanted to head to. She ran too quickly, she could feel her muscles straining and burning in pain. She wanted to stop but alas, she could only do as the strong presence in her mind slaved her to. It was like, she knew what was wrong, who was doing it, but she it wasn't even within her power to do something to stop it. _STOP! _she tried to scream at the presence within her head, but it offered no words for her.

Jack could feel himself involuntarily cursing under his breath. This wasn't what he wanted! He had expected _himself _to be the one in danger. This was his quest, not her's! He was supposed to be the one paying the price, not her! Why had he allowed himself to let her tag along?

When she ran, she saw what the presence was looking for. It was a plant, slightly bigger than the others. It was donned delicate and beautiful pink petals tinted with green. They were so beautiful that she could just stop and gaze at it for an eternity, but it's extremely vile looking thorns suggested otherwise. They were tipped on the edge with a purple so deep, it just _screams _poison.

_"YES! Finally!"_ the presence in her voice exclaimed in such a cheery tone as if it was a child who received it's gift after so many years of yearning. She could feel herself burning within the flames insatiable desires of her captor. She felt the burning hatred of _so_ many years of hate, envy, jealousy and burning in incarceration. So _many _years and now finally, she was just one step closer to being free!

_No, stop! They're not your emotions! _She told herself in a futile attempt to halt the control the presence had over her body.

Just as she reached out, just as the flower was finally within the grasp of her fingers, she felt her whole body being pulled by a sudden force. While being jerked back, one of the thorns had cut into her flesh, drawing blood. As she slowly regained control over her body, she pulled her hand up to gaze on the fresh wound, the purple poison already seeping deep into her bloodstream.

_No! No!_ she heard the distant echo of the presence scream, now laced with the bitter residue of a failed attempt she was _so_ close to passing.

"No! Olivia! Wake up..." she heard the distant voice of someone. When she lifted her head with the last bit of strength she had, she saw two blue eyes, face contorted with worry.

Then, she slipped into a very deep sleep.

* * *

"This is entirely your fault!" Jamie accused with a dangerous tone.

Even though they had already sent her to the doctor's, the doctor couldn't find anything wrong with her, except for the wound. Inwardly, Jack had already known that there wouldn't be much the doctor could help. The problem lied within the walls of his world; Olivia had nothing to do with it. And yet, she has become an unfortunate casualty of the conflict within his world.

"I know," Jack croaked

Jamie sighed, worrying about Olivia. He knew Jack wasn't dangerous, and would never, mean Olivia any form of harm. But this was unbecoming. Olivia had _volunteered_ to go with him. Olivia had unwittingly set foot into a rarely-trespassed area which was the magical world. If she remains with Jack after he leaves when winter is done-

"I'm taking her away," he concluded.

Jack turned to the teen, with widened eyes. He opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again. He knew he was in no position to provide any argument. It was for her best.

Jack just hoped she would obey, though.

* * *

**(A/N): Okay. I decided I'm putting chapter 7 a _little _on hold. Currently making changes to errors I find in the previous chapters. I might slightly extend chapter 6, though.**


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